Abstract

1. Reference is made to earlier work demonstrating the ability of sodium bisulfite to augment the toxicity of certain drugs by hastening their absorption from intramuscular and subcutaneous sites.

2. The increase of epinephrine toxicity in rats caused by sodium bisulfite was abolished by previous administration of rutin, whereas the toxicity of epinephrine HCl solution alone was not affected by rutin.

3. Rutin pretreatment decreased the toxicity of procaine HCl solutions with and without sodium bisulfite; in contrast, metrazol toxicity was not affected.

4. The conditions which enable sodium bisulfite to increase the toxicity of certain drugs are considered and the name "bisulfite phenomenon" is suggested for this action.

5. The effect of rutin upon certain functions of the capillaries is discussed with particular reference to the "bisulfite phenomenon".

6. The antagonism between the bisulfite phenomenon and rutin as described in this work makes feasible quantitative studies of certain actions of this flavone.

Footnotes

Received August 13, 1948.

1948 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics